Adjustments without Mako
by Enigmaticloverofthenight
Summary: This is a story about my own character meeting the FF7 crew, all of the events are after FF7, AC,and DoC. She's adjusting to a new environment, just arriving in Edge, when she befriends the crew, but something threatens to make her return to old habits.
1. Running into Tifa

My first Final Fantasy VII fic. Rated T for swearing. But ratings may change!

Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the FF characters or places mentioned, but Lexie is all mine!

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"It's so hard being an ex-Turk, Reno." A woman whined into her phone. "Well…that's not my problem now, is it, Lexie?" Reno said. "Reno Sinclair…you can be such an ass." Lexie responded harshly as she tightened her grip on her phone. "You know I love you babe." Reno said. Lexie snorted, her dark brown hair falling in front of her face. "You're my best friend, Reno. I love you like a brother." Lexie said, narrowing her navy blue eyes. "That's my girl--Lexie…" "I'm not your girl. Just a friend." Lexie snapped in an irritated tone as she hung up her phone. _I'll go to Edge. I'd rather live there than in Kalm. _She thought shaking her head and getting on top of a giant motorcycle.

Edge, a city built on the edge of Midgar, an old town falling to bits and pieces. Lexie remembered living in Midgar, on the Sector 3 Plate, a Turk, and also the body guard for the President, and his son, when he died. Edge reminded Lexie too much of Midgar, especially the stench of the metal. "Edge…I wonder if it will turn into another floating city?" Lexie asked herself as she strolled around town. Midgar was called "The Floating City" because of it's upper plate, which was about fifty feet above the ground. It was, to some people, the equivalent of Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, and all of the other major cities because of its notoriousness. Lexie sighed heavily and stopped walking, her mostly leather outfit hugged her feminine curves, making all of the guys around her drool stupidly. "Seventh Heaven?" Lexie asked herself, rolling the name around on her tongue. She shook her head and walked into the building, which was a cozy little bar with dimly lit tables.

_A bar. Reno would love this. _Lexie thought with a smile as she sat down at a booth next to a window. She spaced out for a couple of minutes before someone's calm voice interrupted her thoughts. "Can I get you anything?" a woman asked, her hair almost as dark as Lexies' and dark brown eyes that were intense. Her outfit was leather too, her top was a cut off, and her bottoms were shorts with a cape thing on the back. Combat boots completed this woman's outfit. "Uh….Just a drink…Right now, I could care less what it was." Lexie said, getting defensive. "You got it. You new here?" the woman asked. _Persistent, aren't we? _Lexie thought before nodding. "Yeah." Lexie said, nodding. "I'm Tifa. Welcome to Edge." Tifa said before going behind the bar counter and preparing a drink.

Lexie didn't intend to spend the whole day at Tifa's bar, but she did anyway, she was so intrigued by Tifa that she felt compelled to stay. Tifa would always smile, no matter what happened. Lexie thought she was insane. "Tifa." Lexie said that afternoon. "Hm? What is it, Lexie?" Tifa said smiling. "Would you mind if I stayed here for the night?" Lexie asked. "I don't mind. Go ahead. There's a room in the back, it's got two beds. Go ahead and take one." Tifa said with a smile as she pointed out the directions. Lexie nodded and stretched. "You might as well work here, too. A lot of my usuals thought you were in training." Tifa commented as Lexie blushed furiously. "You are so funny!" Tifa squeaked as she laughed, starting on some dishes.

"Hey Tifa..." Lexie started slowly as she walked over to the bar counter after she set down her things. "Hm? What is it?" Tifa asked, stopping what she was doing. "This is a pretty big place to be living in all by yourself." Lexie said slowly. "I don't live here by myself! I live with a couple of old friends, and two children." Tifa said shaking her head. "Oh...where is everyone then?" Lexie wondered aloud. "Denzel and Marlene are probably outside, Barret is running errands and Cloud is doing his thing, running deliveries." Tifa listed. "They sound busy." Lexie said as she leaned against the bar counter. "What about you? Don't you have anyone?" Tifa asked.

Lexie paused before opening her mouth. "My parents...were almost never around when I was young, so I usually 'lived with' my best friend. When the stigma hit, both my mother and father died. At the time, I was engaged, and Zane, my fiancee, had the stigma. He died shortly after my parents." Lexie said with a sigh. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sound pushy!" Tifa squealed. "It's alright. It was a long time ago. I...find it easier to talk about it then to keep it in, Tifa." Lexie said. "Maybe you should help Cloud with that." Tifa mumbled. Lexie acted like she didn't hear Tifa and rolled her neck around a couple of times, then checked the time. "I'm gonna hit the sack. I'll see you tomorrow, Tifa." Lexie said before going to the back of the bar and heading to her room. Lexie shut the door and locked it, then, without putting on sleepwear, she fell onto the bed and fell asleep, remembering Zane.


	2. Throwin out a drunk

The next morning, Lexie sat up on the bed, still fully clothed

The next morning, Lexie sat up on the bed, still fully clothed. _Ooops, I didn't change last night. _She thought smiling meekly. Lexie swung off the bed and out the door, shaking her head furiously, waking herself up. "Hey! Tifa." Lexie called, looking for the barmaid. "Hm? What is it?" Tifa asked. Lexie jumped in surprise, since Tifa had jumped up out of no where. "Um….is that job offer still available?" Lexie asked. "Yeah! Of course! Come on, I'll show you how to do EVERYTHING." Tifa squealed in delight, grabbing Lexie's hand and pulling her behind the bar counter.

Lexie looked like she had been bartending her whole life, which impressed Tifa. "How'd you get so good?" Tifa asked. "My friend….loves bars…and alcohol." Lexie said laughing, thinking of Reno. "Wow. Must be nice?" Tifa implied questioningly. "I guess. He…usually asked me to go with him to bars. I'm not much of a drinker; very rarely will someone see me drunk." Lexie said as someone walked in. Tifa and Lexie looked over to the door, to see who it was. "Damn, Tifa! You got a twin?" someone yelled. Lexie narrowed her eyes. "This is Lexie, Barret. She's a barmaid I hired." Tifa said to the man. Barret, to Lexie, was tall, sort of thick, but probably because of muscle. His hair was braided and a gun arm was on his right arm. "Oh, really?" Barret said, eyeing Lexie. "Yeah. Figured I'd get a job before I went broke." Lexie said, before Tifa opened her mouth. "Where's Spiky?" Barret asked after a moment. "Running deliveries. What else?" Tifa said.

"That reminds me… I have to show you how we run the delivery service." Tifa said, looking back at Lexie. "What?" Lexie asked, tilting her head to the side. "It's simple. But you might have to do it if I can't." Tifa said with a shrug. "Um…alright?" Lexie said softly. "It's easy. Just write down the information, and call." Tifa said. "Call who?" Lexie asked. "Cloud. He's the president and runs the delivery service." Tifa said. Lexie raised an eyebrow and shrugged as Tifa walked around the bar. "When we get drunks, I usually send them home…but I'm wondering how you'll handle someone who's gotten tipsy." Tifa pondered aloud.

_Great. Tifa got her wish. _Lexie thought with a slight grudge. "Send him home." Tifa whispered to Lexie as she started on that evening's dishes. Lexie nodded and stepped over to the man making too much noise and shoving his drink around the table, laughing like and idiot. "Who the hell are you?! Get outta here!" the man yelled at Lexie. Lexie narrowed her eyes and shifted her weight. "Oh…you're pretty hot. Wanna go home with me? We could do it whatever way you want it." The man said, getting in her face. "Not interested. You gotta leave. You've had a bit much." Lexie said, her eye twitching in disgust. "I ain't leaving until I can see your tits bouncin around on my bed." The man said, groping her chest. Lexie grabbed his arms and spun them around his back, like a cop. "Get the fuck out, or I'll make sure you'll never come back." Lexie threatened. The drunk totally ignored her and tried to get at her again. Lexie growled and looked at Tifa. "Open the door." She said pushing the drunk towards the front door.

"DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU GET STRAIGHTENED OUT!" Lexie snapped, literally throwing out the drunk. She cracked her neck before going back in the bar, Tifa and the rest of the people in the bar had their mouths open because Lexie had thrown the drunk farther than any normal person could. "Fuckin drunks." Lexie grumbled as Tifa flailed her arms around, flabbergasted. "Tifa…what's wrong?" someone said.

Tifa jumped. "Cloud!" she said in surprise. "It's all about the drunks Tifa. You gotta beat 'em up so they learn their lessons." Lexie called back, starting to hum a melancholy tune. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO THROW THEM THAT FAR!!" Tifa yelled. "Sure I did. He could've been a danger to everyone here." Lexie said looking back at Tifa. "Tifa?" Cloud said, his blue eyes curious as to what was going on. "It's nothing Cloud…" Tifa said. "Sure it is. Listen, I just had to get rid of a drunk. And that included tossing him out." Lexie said. "YOU THREW HIM OUT!" Tifa yelled. "HE TRIED TO DO ME!" Lexie snapped back. "What?" Cloud said confused. "Tifa. No one gropes me and gets away with it. Alright? I'm sorry, okay?" Lexie said seriously. Tifa shook her head and widened her eyes. "You don't have to apologize!" Tifa said. Lexie chuckled. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" Tifa snarled. "You. Your face. It's so funny!" Lexie said laughing a little harder. Cloud looked confused.

"Lexie, this is Cloud Strife, owner, president, and delivery boy for Strife Delivery Service." Tifa said that night, as Lexie drank a Corel Sangria, one of the specialties of the bar. "Oh. Hey. I'm Lexie. New Barmaid." Lexie said politely. Cloud nodded back. _Not one for words. _Lexie thought, eyeing the blonde. Cloud's hair had Lexie's attention, it was so gravity defiantly spiked. His deep blue eyes, Lexie observed, were the mark of SOLDIER, an old army when Midgar was abandoned. His eyes were similar to Lexie's but they were lighter in tone. Lexie stretched and Barret looked at Lexie like she was insane, since her back popped in several places. "That's so much better." Lexie said with a yawn. Tifa rolled her eyes at Lexie as Lexie got up and headed to the back. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you later, Tifa. Good night." Lexie said, waving her hand goodbye.


End file.
